With the summer behind us, Garrison Concierge is preparing for the fall, winter and even spring with new ideas, events, discounts and small contests. Check out the announcements below for the next few months ahead from Garrison Concierge!

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DEEP HEAP CIRCLE

For starters, the Deep Heap Circle, which is a monthly support group held at the Desmond-Fish Library, will have another “meet & greet” session on Wednesday, September 5th to bring in a fresh start for the fall with anyone who cares to try out the group. As mentioned to current group members in previous sessions, there will be a full schedule of themes for each Deep Heap Circle support group session between September of 2018 and April of 2019. The full schedule is listed below.

> Not every session is on the first Wednesday of the month, due to holiday date interference and/or client scheduling of Garrison Concierge.

> Deep Heap sessions are strictly one hour from 1:30pm – 2:30pm and free of charge.

> Please note that June & July of 2019 will be summer break months from Deep Heap sessions.

Wednesday, September 5, 2018 – Meet & Greet Session – with full explanation of what the Deep Heap Circle is and isn’t

Wednesday, October 10, 2018 – Hoarding Facts — a preview of hoarding workshop that takes place on October 20th at Desmond-Fish Library

Wednesday, November 14, 2018 – Holiday Preparations

Wednesday, December 5, 2018 – New Year Ideas – GO Month

Wednesday, January 2, 2019 – Leaving Clutter Behind for Family – preview of inheritance workshop that takes place on January 9th at the Howland Public Library in Beacon

Wednesday, February 6, 2019 – The Health Risks of Clutter

Wednesday, March 6, 2019 – Paper Management for Tax Day

Wednesday, April 3, 2019 – Earth Day – preview for home sustainability workshop that takes place on January 9th at the Howland Public Library in Beacon

Wednesday, May 1, 2019 – Spring Cleaning

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SPECIAL WORKSHOPS

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Wednesday, January 9, 2019 – 1pm – 2pm

Chaotic Inheritance – How to Avoid Leaving Problems Behind for Surviving Loved Ones to Deal With

Howland Public Library – Beacon

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Wednesday, January 16, 2019 – 2:30pm

*CLOSED PRESENTATION: A private program for the 8th grade students of the Garrison Union Free School

READY KIDS: UNDERSTANDING ORGANIZING: [A parent/teacher & child joint participation class!] It’s quite helpful for kids be well organized at home, at school and at any of the many extracurricular activities that they may choose to become involved with. It can be necessary for kids to understand organizing and how it differs from cleaning up a messy room. It is also very important that parents and children realize the many types of organizing and how keeping certain things neat is not meant to squash creativity. As this is a parent and child class, much information will be covered about the importance of being well organized for medical reasons, school preparations and various types of emergencies. This program is suitable for any age group.

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Monday, March 22, 2019 – 1pm – 2pm

Earth Day – Not Quite Zero Waste – Home Sustainability: Steps to Leading Healthier Lifestyle

Howland Public Library – Beacon

NOTE: This is the comprehensive version of the PGC presentation list above on October 27, 2018.

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]]>garrisonconciergeDSC_4641IMG_2546IMG_0293DSC_3951JANUARY PHOTOS #6 007IMG_2593IMG_4816Only One More Month of Summer!https://garrisonconcierge.wordpress.com/2018/07/23/only-one-more-month-of-summer/
Mon, 23 Jul 2018 22:51:02 +0000http://garrisonconcierge.wordpress.com/?p=1033Continue reading Only One More Month of Summer!]]>

With a fews days left until Labor Day 2018, the delicious days of summer will be winding down in the blink of an eye!

Garrison Concierge is already preparing for programs, special events and discounts for the fall and winter of 2018 all the way through the spring 2019!

Stay tuned for the first announcements coming in late August for what’s ahead!

~ ~ ~ Thank you to clients who have been most patient in what has been a tremendously difficult time and have seen me through the recent passing my father on May 18, 2018. So many of you have helped in so many ways and it is very, very much appreciated. Your thoughts and actions have helped me push forward to regain focus on the business of Garrison Concierge. Again, thank you so very much. ~ ~ ~

With summer weather and fun quickly pushing in, Garrison Concierge is making plans to suit the needs of clients in various ways to welcome in the new season! There will be more announcements about summer highlights from Garrison Concierge in the coming weeks so please stay tuned! Meanwhile, please visit the most recent changes found on the Policies & Procedurespage, as well as what services will be phased out on the Catalog of Servicespage.

So they say… “One must spring ahead!”

As this year started off with a long-term medical emergency of a family member, Garrison Concierge was forced to take an extended break by lowering client visits substantially. It was during this break that new ideas and considerations were made for the future of the business.

After long and careful thought, it was finally decided that since Garrison Concierge was striving for a new level in a different direction, remaining a member of NAPO no longer seems that it will serve any purpose. As 2018 marks nineteen years of being in the organizing industry, fourteen of those years have been as a member of NAPO. In the beginning, NAPO was a great way to meet other professional organizers, study in special classes, try out and evaluate new products and receive discounts for certain services and supplies. However, as so many years have past, those benefits have dwindled down to the mere use of a logo.

After further consideration, the idea of supporting a logo that is not widely recognized no longer seems practical. Therefore, the final decision was to depart from the group and the logos shall soon disappear from this website.

Other ideas have also been conceived over the past few weeks in order to keep service offerings fresh and to maintain a smooth flow of business procedures. Please stay tuned for more announcements about services and workshops. Meanwhile, please visit the Policies & Procedurespage for slight updates.

Thank you to all who have been so very understanding and helpful during the past three months of such a drastic situation. Your compassion, patience and advice is duly noted!!

These tips can be used all year long, but they are especially helpful during the holiday rush!

Shopping

Always park as closely to cart corrals as possible. Shoppers tend to have more energy going into the store, rather than coming out to their cars, so who wants to be stuck with a cart an no corral close enough? Please do not be one-of-those-people who leaves a cart rolling around in the middle of a parking spot as it is not safe, highly annoying and inconsiderate of others using the parking lot!

Have store card, credit card and any coupons ready before reaching the checkout so people behind you don’t have to wait.

For grocery shopping, if your cashier is going too fast, slow them down with produce in the middle of ringing up your food! This always slows them down, giving you ample time to catch up with placing the rest of your items on the counter belt.

Bring your own bags and try to bag your own items at the grocery store. This will ensure that your similar items are together and that the heavy weight of cans, jars and bottles are distributed between several bags.

Shop early in the morning or early evening to avoid crowds inside and for better parking in the lot. Best hours are usually 8:00am – 10:30am or 6:00pm – 9:00pm

Go online to check your points if you have any credit card accounts with rewards programs to see if you have reached a point where you can request a pre-paid VISA car or other option that you have been wanting!

Do not attempt to use pre-paid credit cards at restaurants or gas stations, as they can sometimes be denied or tips do not transfer accurately. Sometimes, there is also a fee for using these cards in certain situations. Prepaid cards are great for using at grocery stores where you can use the entire value of the card at one time.

Use proper etiquette in stores!

Do not walk away from your shopping cart —ever—as this causes anything from traffic jams, the blocking of products on shelves that other shoppers wish access and in some cases, even cause safety hazards. This will also help to save other shoppers from becoming irritated with your negligence.

Read the body language of other shoppers as well as store staffers to feel how hurried they might be, distressed, happy or just want to go about their business. If your cashier has a long line, please don’t chat long with them while they are trying to do their job and move the line as quickly as they can without making mistakes on anyone’s total spending receipts.

Decorating

Less is more. Each December is a great time to look through every single decoration you have to ensure that you have enough or if you have too many. This is the time to add or subtract what you need or don’t need. It’s also the best time to repair or replace what is broken.

Decide who your audience is for outdoor decorations. If your neighborhood has a lot of children, more lights can be fun for them. If mostly adults who are not interested in your gigantic neon blue snowman, you might want to retire him from your fleet of offending decorations. Think about how much trouble it is to set up your outdoor decorations as well as how much electricity it takes to power your display. If you are mostly indoors and don’t really even enjoy your own outdoor decorations, make sure you are doing it to make other people smile and not to irritate or blind them. Why work to make others annoyed during what is supposed to be a pleasant holiday season?

If you don’t have the time or desire for the work involved in decorating or preparing for a party that you wish to host at your home, you can contact catering, decorating or concierge businesses that actually handle all of the decorations and party planning for you at fees that are not as expensive as you would think. If your time and energy is valuable in other ways, that time and energy that you save from holiday work is worth the price, as you have more time to spend with family and friends without being tired and irritable.

Gift Exchanging

Mention having all of the adults only shop for the children in the family and see who agrees with you. Some might be very relieved. Others might miss the idea of receiving or giving gifts to adults, but may be willing to give it a try!

Another alternative would be to take a vote about experimenting with drawing adult names one year to see if it’s something your family can handle. It certainly means that each family member can give one person a more thoughtful gift of a higher quality and expense than in other years. This also means that each adult receives just one gift. As for the children, it’s easier to shop for them without having so many adult gifts to deal with.

Have everyone exchanging gifts try to only give homemade gifts that they either make themselves or buy from independent hand crafters at festivals and holiday boutiques.

Set new guidelines for gifts, such as exchanging only homemade, eco-friendly, services or edibles or other items that are guaranteed to by used by the recipients. This saves waste, as well as being something that people actually want, rather than them being stuck with to regift or donate.

Give gifts that don’t require wrapping… or give gifts in natural or waste free wrappings, such as cute printed fabric for kids gifts that can later be used to sew into bags or pillow cases. The best bet is to cover empty boxes in various sizes with attractive upholstery cloth so that they can be used year after year! The lids to each permanently wrapped box can also be adorned with lovely wired ribbons glued over the fabric which can be reshaped each year after being stored for eleven months.

Gift baskets need not be wrapped in shrink wrap that is bad for the environment, but can be covered in sheer fabrics that come in many colors with options of shimmered to matted. You can still see everything thing inside of the basket without the worry of wasteful plastics.

Food & Beverage

Keep it simple while at the same time keeping in mind what guests prefer or whether or not they have any sensitive issues with certain foods and/or beverages.

If you have had sit-down meals for your family each year, try something different, such as a heavy or light hors d’oeuvre party spread with punch and hot chocolates for a change!

Forget paper and plastic! Stay green and use your nice china and platters, as well as cloth napkins and glass stemware for the holidays. Not only will this create a much better impression upon your guests, but it will save on such waste to end up in landfills!

Always have to-go containers handy for your guests so that they can enjoy some of the goodies from your house after the party.

Background music for the holiday entertaining adds such a wonderful touch to events, large or small. If you happen to have a Spotify account, you can easily create your own holiday playlists to suit the vibe of your guests. You can create several playlists to use for multiple entertaining moments at your home completely customized as to who your guests will be. Sample themes are a jazz holiday playlist, one with fun songs for children or one created from oldies and pop.

As the holidays hit, people seem to be thinking ahead as to the changes and/or improvements they wish to make at the start of the new year… with becoming more organized one of the top choices year after year!

Held annually in January, National GO Month (Get Organized Month) is a special month when events are offered celebrating being well organized, new products are introduced and standard products and services may be discounted.

Stay tuned for Garrison Concierge’s 2018 plans for GO Month to be announced very soon!

A new season… and a new road to becoming healthier and more organized…

Garrison Concierge has several announcements for the cooler seasons ahead to suit the various needs and desires for clients.

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ANNOUNCING THE NEW DEEP HEAP CIRCLE!

What is the Deep Heap Circle?

The DEEP HEAP CIRCLE is the new name for the clutter support group founded and facilitated by Garrison Concierge with the Desmond-Fish Library. This support group was introduced in the spring of 2017 without a specific name. Taking the summer months off, the support group is to resume on Wednesday, October 4th at the library. As an ongoing discussion group for untidiness control, this group meets the first Wednesday of each month at 1:30 at the Desmond-Fish Library, facilitated by Garrison Concierge.

NOTE:The October 4th session will be another meet & greet introduction for the new season and guidelines and confidentiality code will be handed out to participants.

SUSTAINABILITY WORKSHOP AT DESMOND-FISH LIBRARY!

Wednesday, October 25th – 1:30pm – 2:30pm

HOME SUSTAINABILITY WORKSHOP: STEPS TO LEADING A HEALTHIER LIFESTYLE: This workshop is for those considering ways to make their home and lifestyles more sustainable by adopting habits for living a healthier, simpler and more peaceful lifestyle while helping the environment. There will be much discussion about way to reduce clutter, lower waste amounts and save on utilities. Warnings will be given about dangerous toxins in our living spaces, plastics, foods and toiletries. Also, recommendations will be discussed concerning green cleaning as to what products are natural and what products should be avoided.

SPECIAL AUTUMN DISCOUNTS!!

ATTICS & GARAGES!

Now that the weather is cool, but not yet freezing, it’s the perfect time to deal with those procrastinated tasks, due to hot or frosty temperatures. For sessions over two hours based on organizing an attic or garage, clients can receive 20% off of the total hours worked.

PAPER MANAGEMENT FOR PARENTS!

Now that a new academic year has started, parents find themselves inundated with papers– school records, health records, forms for registrations, newsletters, calendars, notes… it just goes on and on. For a session to help reduce the frustrations parents may have with the amount of paperwork that enters their home, Garrison Concierge can help to customize a system that works for the family. For a flat fee of $50, e-mail or call Garrison Concierge for a special session.

PANTRY CHAOS!

If you have been meaning to reorganize your pantry and/or refrigerator for what seems like forever, Garrison Concierge can help you handle such a task with great ease. With cooler seasons ahead and meals changing to more comfort foods, now is a great time to attack these two parts of the kitchen to start these seasons off right! $100 gets both a pantry and a refrigerator on the way to easier access to the warm foods you love!

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PER REQUEST FROM THE PUBLIC!

New Offering! One-on-One Classes!

Garrison Concierge has had many compliments on the programs offered over the years. However, there have been numerous people who said that they missed a program because they were unavailable for the date or time that the program was hosted. Most of these people have asked for Garrison Concierge to let them know when a program is coming up that they were previously interested. With this notion, Garrison Concierge has now come up with a plan! That is, no-more-waiting! If there is any program in the past that was missed, it can be reserved as a one-on-one class session! Simply contact Garrison Concierge with the program title of your choosing and ask when the class could be set one-on-one and set the location for a low fee of $25. Program titles are found with this link: PROGRAMS

NOTE:Programs for the public will still be offered in class settings at various locations in Philipstown and Beacon. This is simply something that is an added benefit when someone absolutely cannot make one of those public programs.

Stay tuned for special announcements to come in the near future about new programs and service features! As Garrison Concierge was recently able to take a needed vacation before returning to clients, much research and planning behind the scenes was accomplished to offer even more options.